Matt wrote on Apr 11^th, 2011 at 7:44pm:


No <chuckle> I don't suppose he did.

Quote:

Amelia really wanted me to do it, let Ginny at her that is, and I've toyed with the idea of writing an alternate ending, just for fun. : But Mary wasn't worth tarnishing Ginny's reputation as a lady.

Matt wrote on Apr 11^th, 2011 at 7:44pm:


it's funny you should say that but I do cover why, in Destruction, the Aliens seem hell-bent on wiping out the whole human race...

MkIXHawk wrote on Apr 11^th, 2011 at 8:53pm:

On this side of the pond, it's different, if I don't know them, or know them well, it's yes sir, or yes ma'am. These days the automatic yes ma'am has gotten me into trouble with some of the younger ladies, who think that calling them ma'am implies that they are over the hill.

A number of people have used the idea that SHADO was dealing with more than one 'racial' or 'political' group on the alien planet.

And there are other explanations - In QoP, the alien seems to be trying to communicate with SHADO, then 'gives up and goes out to die' when the other craft shows up.

But what if the motive for the alien using SHADO's frequency was to lure one or more senior officers out there to be killed? Attacking the mobiles would simply alert SHADO that it had been a trap whose bait hadn't been as effective as needed. The alien was killed to keep him from falling into SHADO's hands and to give weight to the idea that there were 'friendly' factions. Something they might be able to use in the future.

And in ESP - Croxley appears to be channeling an alien who doesn't understand why they're under attack - but the aliens deliberately targeted Croxley's house to kill his wife. And they don't understand why humans are so against them? 

As to the aging issue - while the first captured alien may have been a 'real' alien and reverted to his true age when exposed to Earth's atmosphere, but what if the other 'aliens' were captured humans - brain-wiped cannon fodder - and so were not only younger, but 'immune' to Earth's toxins.

Hey, I write Perl - if there's only one solution, you're not trying hard enough.

MkIXHawk wrote on Apr 11^th, 2011 at 8:53pm:


Yes but ONLY those wearing crowns or coronets, the Queen for example but not for the general public.  In the armed services here it's the rank usually.